A few months ago, I decided that I should use the raspberry PI before proceeding with the Mobile Digital Hub which I think will be ready by 4th July 2017. The objective is to increase technology literacy and accessible among the rural and suburban citizens.
So I had to acquire a raspberry PI 3. Through www.supaprice.co.ug I was fortunate enough to receive one from London, U.K to Kampala, Uganda, East Africa in just 9 days including weekends. This was really what I wanted.
However, I still need an HDMI to VGA adapter to be able to experiment with this cute little baby computer. I can’t wait.Some of the experiments I want to try first are playing a game on it. Kindly suggest me one since I have not played games in a while.
I also want to install an ftp client for downloading back ups from our online cPanel server once in a day.
Fingers crossed as I may get the cable tomorrow courtesy of Solomon King the founder of Fundibots.org
Author: David
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This cable is all I need to start
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How to earn from a blog?
Many people from different walks of life ask me this about making an income from blogs or websites. As if everyone is looking at alternative ways of making money. Is it because of the world’s economic recession or the improved level of awareness in the third world countries like Uganda? Before sharing what I know about making money from blogging, I want to say am proud of people like Mark Zuckerberg, Adam D’Angel and many visionaries who implemented social platforms such as facebook.com, quora.com, google.com etc…
Let’s get to it.How can I earn from a blog or blogging?
First of all what is a blog? What is blogging?
Quoting from Wikipedia, a blog is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (“posts”). Click here to find out more.
Assuming we understand the definition above, blogging is the process of writing content and publishing on the blog.
Is it about text only? Text alone is not enough anymore. Therefore blogging is about podcasts and Vlogs where podcast is audio whereas Vlog is video.
Let’s briefly talk about the income bit.
Advertising
If you write informative content which people like, you will most probably attract thousands if not millions of readers(traffic). This is a great opportunity for you because many business people want to be seen. Simply create a space where adverts can be displayed and set up your pricing packages.
Reviewing
Some companies are willing to pay great reviewers to write about their products and publish on their blogs.
Affiliate marketing
Online stores like Amazon.com and advertising agencies such as google have affiliate marketing opportunities for bloggers. The good thing they can give you products links related to your content. These links are to be integrated in your blog articles so that people can click them as they read. If they like the product and buy it, you earn commission.
Tutoring
If you know something write about it and let others learn from you. Eventually this can turn into some of training from which you can earn from.
Basically that’s what I could rushy write about but it’s a diverse topic. My advice to you is to research more and start a blog.
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What a way to spend first Sunday of February 2017?
Usually I’m with a laptop trying to do something. I’m either designing a website using WordPress or I’m learning something online or I’m sharing something on social media.
5th February was exceptional. As I spared sometime for me then attended the Unseen me Exhibition and the short film premier of Irreversible.
Before heading to both events I have to add a few hours of coding to some website which is for a actors/actress talent management company, which will be launching anytime towards the end of this coming week. For long I have not been motivated to work on this website but today, I picked the inspiration from a film paper design.
Had my lunch then took off with a boda-boda local name for public motorcycles to Oasis Mall Kampala where the Unseen Me exhibition took place. It was overwhelming the paintings, handmade crafts exhibited as well the hospitality organizers.
After a few hours, proceeded on a short distant walk to Uganda National Cultural Center (National Theatre) to watch a local movie premiere. Very interesting was meeting a few friends and workmates there. But the unforgettable are the new friends, who knew me on facebook but we ended up meeting here in real life. We had a chat with them and some representatives of a certain companies who sponsors of the movie premier. When we entered in the theatre we almost missed the seats due a big number that turned up.
All short films including Irreversible were entertaining, educating and promising of the Ugandan film industry.
Photos to follow.
Thanks for reading.
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Why entrepreneurship is not freedom?
Building myself as an entrepreneur I juggled between freelance and employment. During the time until mid 2015 the market pulled me into and I virtually identified myself as an Information Technology expert than what I truly desired to be since 2003.
You see I wanted to code and develop solutions which could help me especially. I never owned a PlayStation yet kids next door did, my playing time was boring most of the time. Such incited the desire to be creative. Later spent every penny in the internet cafes for years to learn this thing called software development.
All the way, developed desire to make money, so I instead of going at it through coding looked for the simplest way possible. I went into troubleshooting computers and setting up internet cafes. As this brought in some money, it positioned me more into the I.T arena than giving than coding. Much as had lots of ideas flowing in my blood, couldn’t find the courage to start or pick up where I left off.
When you want to be something, it’s good to discover the way you want to do it and fall that. If you don’t you are most likely to do it just like anyone else. Will this bring you happiness?
As for me solving problems through coding will be my first method, even if I run away it will always haunt me.
If anyone wants freedom or is pursuing happiness my recommendation is to try and spare sometime to discover yourself. Try so much to become as much self aware as possible so that if anyone has to tell you something they know or are observing about you, you don’t feel offended and surprised. Because you entirely know where it begins and ends.
For many coders, there is pain on start and during debugging phase but that pain has never compared to the happiness that comes at launch of our system.
If you’ve never gone through any self-awareness program, start now. Don’t let fears and thoughts like discovering the opposite that you want something or you who someone else than you’ve known. The magic here is that you will know yourself more than anyone knows you and you can now continue on your journey taking the right direction. I got a chance to attend Unleash dreams in 2016 co-found by David Reeve. One of the sessions Christine taught us about the life ecosystem, it’s my center of reflection since then. -
Discoveries after coding on Christmas and Boxing day.
I’m sitting and procrastinating many ideas which could be important to life of many. It’s not because of laziness however, it’s due to a couple of distractions of which some relate to what I have written in this blog.
Though am happy to be getting somewhere am completely unmoved by the decisions made by some Information Technology experts.
Speaking of Information Technology, do we even know the difference between Computer Science (CS), Computer Engineering (CE) and Information Technology (IT) and the personal responsibilities each calls for?
I think profoundly knowing the differences and responsibilities wouldn’t cost businesses dearly.
Businesses are being robbed off time, creativity, revenue and productivity.
If you’re an I.T expert concentrate on helping the market how to best use the existing systems. Furthermore discover the troubles the market is facing while using these systems. Suggest to the computer scientists and computer engineers who are responsible for developing not only working software and hardware, producing optimized and cost effective solutions is their responsibility as well.
If you are a computer scientist and computer engineer, I would recommend building what you think is a solution unless you are just building a profile to show your level of success, you should surround yourself with I.T experts listen to them and do nothing unless there is concrete research backing the availability of the opportunity or necessity of feature.
Largely time is wasted repeating ourselves. Taking wrong decisions by position ourselves where someone else should be.
Take an example where small web hosters develop their private systems and end up losing business contrary to those who invest money in existing platforms or choosing open source ones.
Cpanel, Plesk and DirectAdmin don’t come free but they have been their forever and are powering over 50Million websites today. Because of their popularity support is readily available at a simple google search. New features are released quite often than it would happen for a company with limited resources.
Opensource platforms like VestaCP and ISPconfig have also picked up, making the entire ecosystem of web hosting stronger with secure, competitive and affordable options.
An Information Technology personnel, Computer Scientist and Computer Engineer each positioned rightfully means awesome world solutions. -
Before you make resolutions for #2017, I challenge you to do this first.
Reading a book, watching an inspirational video or attending a motivation session may cause a positive impact on you.
However haven’t you also heard of people complaining that it was a waste of time? Perhaps it has ever happened to you as well, in that you attended guided meditation sessions or other forms of motivational sessions, lots of fellowships and group prayers, read this and that book. To the point of stocking almost all motivational videos around the world but you’re still the same.
I myself, have ever been there and ended up unchanged.Become Self-aware.
The first time, I tried self-awareness was after watching Gary Vaynerchuk video before revising the questions David had sent me to identify my core personal purpose. My journey started and I have never moved back.
Even if you have to revise your personal purpose or re-identify it. Self-awareness is the only remedy that brings out the best of you no matter where you are and what you do.
Being self-aware is self-motivating, ignites self belief and love.
Self Awareness is defined by http://www.pathwaytohappiness.com as having a clear perception of your personality, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. Self Awareness allows you to understand other people, how they perceive you, your attitude and your responses to them in the moment.”
A prosperous #2017 friends. -
Why should I be energetic for 2017?
2016 is a memory. Full of personal and business challenges, surprises and milestones. The opportunities, that it brought such as the “Dine and Dream” and Unleash dreams workshops for free of charge. Over 4 districts of Uganda traveled to educate fellow youths about entrepreneurship & personal development, the networks built, the websites designed and mobile app development opportunity scoped are one of those that make me feel energized for 2017. The first time I applied for a fellowship, can’t wait for feedback. Fingers crossed.
More reason to be energized is the goal am setting to learn more about youths and women empowerment, human rights, violence and entrepreneurship in all.
To mentor and support at least 2 young entrepreneurs run self sustaining businesses is what I stand for. I live to inspire individuals to build awareness and self-sustaining communities. So the more knowledge I give, the inspirations I make, the support I give is what keeps me stronger as well as make others stronger. Looking forward to this challenge.
In 2016 most of my workshops have been in Central and Eastern Uganda, connecting to Western and Northern Uganda will be courageous.
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Pursuing happiness by building communities.
Over the years I have learned about many things including but not limited to computers, business and education. The knowledge acquired helped me develop website designing, entrepreneurship and community activism skills.
These skills help me, run a small mobile money business, with the aim of employing at least 3 youths before the end of 2017 and Gagawala graphics ltd, one of the fastest growing website design, graphics design and printing business in Kampala, Uganda employing 8 young skilled professionals who didn’t have jobs. In all the businesses I involve, I like to emphasize self sustainability.
This is the reason why I honour invitations to hold workshops in rural and rural-urban areas.
The last free entrepreneurship workshop, I facilitated was in Masese slum at Jinja(Eastern Uganda).
To make it inclusive and have maximum attention from everyone, I suggested we have a question and answer session instead of a speech kind or black board kind of class.
Everyone agreed. Questions started to flow from participants. One of the questions the participants asked was “What things do we have to consider, to be able to start a business?” Answers contributed were idea, market, labour, skill, capital and time. I emphasized that without embracing all the 6 elements, the business my not grow or even serve it’s purpose in a single day. Business the discussion, we had a little physical activity in which participants made a circle while holding each others’ hands raising it up high.
This activity helps participants to work together for productivity. And also help relieve and resolve what’s learned from the discussions.
More activities at the event were poping, breakdance, sports workshops and dance competitions happened. -
What would you do in my situation?
I set out to blog at least once a month to fulfill the obligation as an ironblogger but recently it’s been hectic to fulfill the obligation.
In the recent 2 months my company Gagawala Graphics ltd, which offers services in Website design, Website hosting, Graphics design and printing to the market in Uganda, received a number of orders quite more than before. The orders included social media management by one of the top 10 private financial institutions in the countrt, 5 websites and for the first time a mobile app.
Being the leader of the website development, I had to choose between investing more time and serve the clients or spare time for blogging. What would do you do, if you were in my position?
I decided to put all my time in designing these websites, reporting to our clients and I would blog whenever I had some energy and free time. Extra Time & energy, would be hard to have though. In the end, I couldn’t blog.
Achievements made
1. I developed a reusable WordPress theme, which can be used on any website and customized without any coding. The theme allows you to position the header, navbar, hero, top bar wherever you want. You choose background colors for many sections, you set font families, font sizes, font colors, and is loaded with many widget areas for flexibility. I to provide the theme to the public domain after code optimization in January for free of charge. I also believe this is the last theme, I may have developed using bootstrap 3, since I want to adapt to bootstrap 4.
2. I developed a WordPress widget plugin which can fetch any posts from any post type and category. You choose in settings to display post thumbs or not, the number of posts, set the number of columns in which the posts should be arranged, set number of words for title and excerpt. They are quite many options that make this widget quite powerful and of benefit to almost every WordPress powered website.
3. Successfully developed 2 mini web applications on WordPress. I call them mini because they don’t features for managing front end users. But they allow someone to register for a loan online and visa card online. I’m super excited of launching Next Week.
Lessons learned
My biggest lesson, is that WordPress robust as a CMS as well as a web application development framework.
